The company will hold a ceremony followed by an open house that will include demonstrations and information.

The company is an accredited contractor with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s $martSM Program.

The company inspects homes and makes suggestions on how the owners can save energy. The state has grants and low-interest loans to cover the improvements for homeowners who qualify.

The signage appears on the basket stanchion arm and is designed to be visible to television audiences. The idea of putting advertising here was conceived by David Bialek, president of ANC Sports Marketing.

“It’s the real estate that’s innovative,� said Bialek, a Chappaqua resident who grew up in Spring Valley. “At the end of the day, a sign is a sign; it’s where you put it that’s impactful.�

He said he got the idea when his young children woke him up in the middle of the night and he couldn’t get back to sleep.

“I went downstairs and watched highlights of an old basketball game, and as often happens in the middle of the night, good ideas come,� he said. “I just kept seeing this real estate that had no advertising placed on it, and my idea was born.�

He initially shared it with schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. After getting positive feedback, he said, he proposed it to State Farm. The ads appeared at the games of more than 40 colleges last season, and State Farm decided to expand the program into the NBA.

ANC Sports and its divisions provide signage for more than 150 sports venues in North America. Some signs are static, and others have Light Emitting Diode (LED) and rotational displays. The company also does marketing consultation and advertising sales, graphic design, print production and operation and maintenance of its signs.

ANC Sports was founded in 1997 by President and Chief Executive Officer Jerry Cifarelli, who lives in Rye. It has more than 50 full-time and 60 part-time employees. In addition to its local headquarters, the company has a warehouse in Atlanta.

RDA estimates that the outsourcing will reduce its costs by about $130 million over the first three years by improving business processes and allow RDA to get better prices on print products.

“Williams Lea is one of the largest global players in the printing field, and as such we will use their resources, skills and contacts to get better prices on everything to do with printing — paper, ink, printing itself,� said William Adler, vice president of global communications, in an e-mail.
Adler said the move will not require layoffs. He said 100 employees worldwide — including 13 of the 800 who work locally — will “change teams� and work for Williams Lea while remaining in their present locations.

NRDC Equity is the real estate investment trust that purchased Lord & Taylor a year ago for $1.1 billion and Linens N’ Things earlier in 2006. This year, the company said it was considering more retail acquisitions. Last month it bought a majority stake in New York fashion designer Peter Som Inc. for about $10 million.

Fortistar takes landfill gas, which is methane, and converts it to electricity or heating gas.

These new projects, which represent more than 18 megawatts of generating capacity, are part of Fortistar’s ongoing expansion of its renewable energy sector. Last month, it acquired Minnesota Methane LLC and United Gasco LLC from TD Banknorth NA.

The deal is expected to close in about a month. At that time, Fortistar will own 50 of these projects through its Methane Group.

Fortistar says its gas-to-energy projects represent about 12 percent of the developed market.

• The Apex Award for Advocacy will go to Thomas A. Hales, founder and chairman of Union State Bank, and Robert Glazer, president of ENT and Allergy Associates LLP,
• The award for Professionals and Entrepreneurs goes to Tara Meenan Lansen, president and chief executive officer of Compufit Computer Corp.
• The award for International Business goes to Adele Zeller, co-founder and president of Zelco Industries.
• The Young Professionals Award goes to Adam Stark, president of Stark Business Solutions.

In addition, the 2007 Chairman’s Award will go to Stanley E. Freimuth, the outgoing chairman of the Westchester County Association. The Special Recognition award will go to Alex Phillipidis, former editor-in-chief of the Westchester County Business Journal. Awards will be presented at the Fall Leadership Event Nov. 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hilton Rye Town, 699 Westchester Ave. in Rye Brook.

For more information and reservations, visit www.westchester.org or call 914-948-6444.